Villagers are up in arms about the local water board's decision to use the site of Dibley as a new resovoir to deal with a water crisis. It will effectively mean the valley in which the village sits will be engulfed in water. Desperate times call for desperate measures when the Vicar, Gereldine Granger, chains herself to the front door of the church. At first, others think it is a crazy idea, especially Conservative chairman of the Parish Council, David Horton. But gradually, the other main characters join the Vicar in handcuffs. Eventually, even Mr Horton joins in the protest. With the world's media convereged on the village, a spokesperson from the water board makes an announcement that they have decided not to procede with the resovior proposal. He says the decision is not the result of the demonstration, but because of the discovery of a single breasted, one legged chicken, on the farm of Owen Newitt, who had been severing limbs off many of his animals. He succeeds in his aim of getting Dibley classified as an area of unique natural importance, and the village is saved.